Airport Gets Down To Earth

PEMBROKE PINES — It's not easy to get from one side of North Perry Airport to the other _ unless you're in a plane.

For those in cars, within the airport's boundaries, no road connects the north side of the field to the south side.

That will change soon.

Under a $2.2 million project, the airport in Pembroke Pines is building a three-mile, two-lane perimeter road that will run along the north, west and south borders of the field.

Motorists will be able to drive from the airport manager's trailer on the north side of the field, to Mayday's Restaurant on the south side to Aerial Sign Co. on the west side.

Work on the project, which includes installing water lines, began last week and is scheduled to be completed by August.

"It will help keep airport traffic on the airport and off local roads," said Fred Hoffman, the airport manager.

As part of the project, an additional entrance will be built on the west side of the airport. That entrance will be controlled by a traffic signal on University Drive, Hoffman said.

The road project is on a list of several improvements in the airport's master plan.

By Feb. 1, the airport hopes to start replacing the cables and electrical circuits to the white and blue runway and taxiway lights, a $500,000 job.

"Most of the cables are the same ones we put in the ground in 1969, so they are due for replacement," Hoffman said.

Depending on the availability of federal funds, airport officials would like to extend the two east-west runways about 200 feet and the two north-south runways about 300 feet. All runways now are about 3,000 feet long.

That project could start next year and would cost about $780,000, Hoffman said.

"Without changing the nature of the airport, it should provide a little better safety margin," he said.

By making improvements, airport officials hope to attract more corporate business, yet maintain the airport primarily for pilot training. The cramped 536-acre airport was originally built as a training field by the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Money for the improvements will come from state and federal funds and the airport's user fees, not local taxes, officials said.